John Margolies' photographs of roadside America

Recorded: Sept. 8, 2026, 6:11 a.m.

Original

Summarized

John Margolies’ Photographs of Roadside America — The Public Domain ReviewHomeEssaysCollectionsExploreSourcesShopSupport PDRAboutBlog SearchSearch The Public Domain ReviewSupport PDREssaysCollectionsExploreSourcesShopAboutBlogXBlueskyCollections / ImagesJohn Margolies’ Photographs of Roadside America
Big Fish Supper Club, Route 2, Bena, Minnesota; 1980.
The culture of the American road has been much celebrated — and much criticized. Lawrence Ferlinghetti saw the rise of the automobile and the construction of the interstate system (which began in the 1950s) as a new form of punishment inflicted on the populace. Driving in their cars, “strung-out citizens” were now plagued by legionnaires false windmills and demented roosters… on freeways fifty lanes wide on a concrete continent spaced with bland billboards illustrating imbecile illusions of happinessThe architectural critic and photographer John Margolies (1940–2016), on the other hand, saw there could also be home-made beauty in the buildings and signs locals built on the American roadside. For almost forty years, he documented the most remarkable examples he found, publishing some of his discoveries in books and consigning the rest to an archive, which has now been purchased by the Library of Congress who, in a wonderfully gracious move, have lifted all copyright restrictions on the photographs (though art works shown in some photographs may still be under copyright).Readers of Ferlinghetti would not be surprised to see Margolies’ archive offer up no end of "false windmills" and "demented roosters".Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Log Cabin Motel Office, San Leandro, California; 1978.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Rooster statue at Shirt World, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; 1984.
But the billboards he preferred to photograph illustrated relatively humble "illusions of happiness".Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Club Cafe sign near Santa Rosa, New Mexico; 1987.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Chicken Cowboy billboard wreck, Elko, Nevada; 1991.
He also found no shortage of signs graced with attention-grabbing, groan-inducing puns.Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Billboard, near Dillon, South Carolina; 1986.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Leaning Tower of Pizza, Quincy, Massachusetts; 1984.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Octopus Car Wash, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 1981.
Probably one of his favorite roadside phenomena to document, however, were novelty buildings. He especially liked structures that mimicked their own shape or function, whether this was as witty as a car wash shaped like a whale or as uncomplicated as a coffeehouse shaped like a coffeepot.Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.The Whale Car Wash, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 1979.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Bob’s Java Jive, Tacoma, Washington; 1979.
Almost all of Margolies’ work was done in the interest of preserving images of what would otherwise be lost to time. Even his first book, published in 1981, was elegiacally called The End of the Road: Vanishing Highway Architecture in America. From the start, Margolies knew the quirky motels, miniature golf courses, diners, billboards, and gas stations were being endangered by franchising and changing fashions — not to mention changing patterns of automobile traffic. (For decades now, most drivers have, of course, opted for the high speed-limits of superhighways and the convenience of service areas, leaving the old local highways in the lurch.)Today, this collection of Marogolies’ photographs offers an invaluable tour of the diverse vernacular architecture and signage of North America. Some of these wonders remain, while others have gone the way of the dinosaur — which, as it happens, remains one of the American roadside’s most frequent denizens.Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Harold’s Auto Center, Spring Hill, Florida; 1979.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Dinosaur Village RV Mobile Home Park, Jensen, Utah; 1991.
You can view all 11,710 of the colour slides in hi-res digitisations on the Library of Congress, and also a slightly lower-res but easy-to-browse selection of 1,555 on Flickr: The Commons.Enjoyed this piece? We need your help to keep publishing.The PDR is a non-profit project kept alive by reader donations – no ads, no paywalls, just the generosity of our community. It’s a really exciting model, but we need your help to keep it thriving. Visit our support page to become a Friend and receive our themed postcard packs. Or give a one-off donation. Already a supporter? A huge thank you for making all this possible.Support PDRMediumImagesThemeDesign & TypographyStylePhotographyEpoch20th CenturyTagsamerica10advertisements5on the road2roads2advertising2Indexed under…AArchitectureNovelty, animal-shapedSourceLibrary of CongressMore Library of Congress content on PDR (137)Underlying Work RightsNo Known RestrictionsDigital Copy RightsNo Additional RightsSource states “no known restrictions”
We offer this info as guidance onlyDownloadRight click on image, or see source for higher res-versions.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.World's largest buffalo (46' long, 26' high, 60 tons), Jamestown, North Dakota; 1990.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Peach water tower, Frontage Road, Gaffney, South Carolina; 1988.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Hat n' Boots gas station, Route 99, Seattle, Washington; 1980.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. St. Joseph Auto and Furniture Fabric slip cover sign, Saint Joseph, Missouri; 1988.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. The Nat Ballroom, 6th & McMaster's, Amarillo, Texas; 1977.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Rawhide City billboard, I-94, Mandan, North Dakota; 1980.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Indian Trading Post, Route 66, Elk City, Oklahoma; 1982.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Wall Drug final billboard, Wall, South Dakota; 1987.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Terrace Drive-In Theater, Terrace Way, Bakersfield, California; 1987.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Atomic Signs sign, Route 550, Farmington, New Mexico; 1980.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.Budget Lodge Motel sign, Route 1, Port of Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Florida; 1990.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing.The Donut Hole, straight-on view, no cars, Amar Road, La Puente, California; 1991.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Dino skeleton view 1, Flintstone's Bedrock City, Rts. 64 and 180, Valle, Arizona; 1987.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Muffler Man II, Meineke Discount Mufflers, Charleston Avenue and D Street, West Columbia, South Carolina; 1988.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Aztec Motel, diagonal view 2, Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico; 2003.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Wigwam Village #6, Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona; 1979.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Ko-Ko-Mo Dine In Your Car sign, Routes 79 & 80, Bossier City, Louisiana; 1979.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Hoot Owl Cafe, horizontal view, 8711 Long Beach Boulevard, Southgate, Los Angeles, California; 1977.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Roadside flamingo statue, Frog City, Route 41, Florida; 1980.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Serra Motel sign, Old Route 101, Gilroy, California; 1991.
Scroll through the whole page to download all images before printing. Thunderbeast Park, platybelodon's eye, Route 97, Chiloquin, Oregon; 1987.
PublishedAug 29, 2019If You Liked This…Get Our NewsletterOur latest content, your inbox, every fortnightPrivacy Policy More InfoHPBecome a Friend of the PDRJoin our community of supporters and receive our themed postcard packs, delivered to your door twice a year. Friends also enjoy 15% off all prints.Find Out MoreShop Our Range of PrintsPremium prints using pigment-based archival inks (Giclee process) on high grade heavyweight art paper. Available as unframed or framed and ready to hang.Free Shipping to US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia.The Public Domain Review is registered in the UK as a Community Interest Company (#11386184), a category of company which exists primarily to benefit a community or with a view to pursuing a social purpose, with all profits having to be used for this purpose.We rely on donations from readers. Please consider supporting the project and becoming a Friend of the PDR.AboutMastheadContactSubmissionsExplorePDR IndexSourcesFurther ReadingWhat is the Public Domain?Rights LabellingReusing MaterialPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsEssaysCollectionsConjecturesCurator’s ChoiceBlogShopPDR PressPrintsShop FAQReturns PolicySubscribe to Our NewsletterXBlueskySign Up for Our Newsletter!The latest wonders from the site to your inbox.Once every two weeks.HPPrivacy Policy | More InfoYou can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the provided link in our emails.XBluesky

I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions

Keep me updated on new shop additions and special offers

Pay by Credit Card

Pay with PayPal

Click for delivery time estimates

{{$localize('errors.order_validation.custom_fields_validation.description')}}

Sorry, we cannot ship to P.O. Boxes.

The culture surrounding the American road has been subject to both celebration and criticism, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti viewing the rise of the automobile and the construction of the interstate system as a punitive force upon the populace. As citizens drove, they were exposed to an environment filled with artificial illusions, such as false windmills and demented roosters displayed along freeways and concrete continents punctuated by bland billboards, which fostered deceptive notions of happiness.

In contrast to this critical view, the architectural critic and photographer John Margolies focused on discovering the home-made beauty present in the buildings and signs constructed by local communities along the roadside. For nearly forty years, Margolies documented these remarkable examples, publishing some findings while archiving the rest, which was subsequently acquired by the Library of Congress, granting most photographs public domain status. This archive offers readers a collection of phenomena that Ferlinghetti's readership would recognize as contributing to the broader landscape of roadside imagery, including depictions of "false windmills" and "demented roosters."

Margolies specifically documented roadside signs that often featured groan-inducing puns, such as those found on billboards, alongside novel structures. His favored subjects included novelty buildings that mimicked their own shapes or functions, exemplified by car washes shaped like whales or diners modeled after coffee pots. His work aimed at preserving images of these roadside elements that were endangered by the forces of franchising, shifting fashions, and evolving patterns of automobile traffic; his initial book, The End of the Road: Vanishing Highway Architecture in America, reflected this concern.

Today, Margolies’ photographs provide an invaluable survey of the diverse vernacular architecture and signage across North America. The collection illustrates structures that have endured alongside those that have disappeared, remaining as a significant record of the region's roadside history. Various examples documented include structures such as motel offices, gas stations, route signs like the Rawhide City billboard and Wall Drug advertisements, and novelty edifices like the Dino skeleton view in Flintstone's Bedrock City. This body of work serves as an extended tour of the varied landscape of American roadside culture.